Sascha Cordner

Phone: (850) 487-3086 x404

Sascha Cordner worked at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both TV and radio, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She has received several Florida Associated Press Broadcasters Awards with one of her award-winning stories titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.

To outsource or not to outsource…That’s the question facing Florida lawmakers this year, as they mull over whether the Florida Department of Law Enforcement should use outside help to take care of the state’s backlog of untested rape kits.

The head of the Florida Department of Corrections says she’s asking the legislature for more funds to hire more correctional officers to help with the understaffing problem. And, Governor Rick Scott says he’s backing her amended legislative request.

The Florida Department of Corrections continues to undergo staffing troubles, roofs need repairs, and salary parity is still a main concern among correctional officers. That’s according to a recently completed study looking into the operations of the prison agency.

There’s a part of Florida law that could be renamed, under a bill starting to move through the Florida Legislature. That statute deals with creating enhanced penalties for crimes against people with a physical or mental disability.

Florida lawmakers are hoping to further reform Florida’s troubled prison system with a proposal currently in the works. But, there’s at least one area of the bill that’s giving the head of the prison agency a bit of pause.

The head of Florida’s child welfare agency says he’s still in the process of reforming the Florida Department of Children and Families and it’s going to take a lot of work. Florida lawmakers got that update in both the House and Senate this week.

Florida lawmakers are hoping to continue moving a bill forward aimed at changing Florida’s minimum mandatory sentencing rules. It comes on the heels of a recent decision by the state’s Executive Board to reject a request to release a Florida man early from prison, who fired a warning shot and received a 20 year prison sentence.

Some Florida lawmakers are hoping to revive an effort that could change the role of State Attorneys prosecuting a “Stand Your Ground” case. And, some prosecutors are also against another bill giving judges more discretion in handing out mandatory 10-20-Life sentences.

A Florida lawmaker has filed a measure aimed at speeding up the processing of DNA evidence collected in sexual assault investigations. That’s after a recent call by Attorney General Pam Bondi to get more funding for crime labs all across the state to test thousands of untested rape kits.

Florida’s troubled prison system is going through a bit of a revamp, as it also seeks to retain its correctional officers. As part of the Secretary’s latest endeavor, she’s trying to give the agency a new mission as well as a new logo.

Looking into a school for men arrested for buying sex, getting a first-look at kid-friendly anti-human trafficking app, and considering more legislation cracking down on the practice are just some the areas discussed during a statewide panel Tuesday.